1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to magnetic tape apparatus and more particularly to magnetic tape apparatus wherein the magnetic tape can smoothly travel in a stable condition without jet air and at high speed.
1. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally known that a magnetic tape may be conventionally temporarily maintained in a zig-zag condition within a magazine, disposed upon a vertical or substantially vertical plate so as to serve as a master loop box within high speed recording apparatus. Within such conventional magnetic tape apparatus, the magnetic tape is gradually compressed within the lower portion of the magazine by means of the dead-weight thereof which apparently causes high apparent density of the tape.
Accordingly, when the magnetic tape is to be removed from the outlet of the magazine, severe movement and resistance between the layers of the magnetic tape results in limiting the travelling speed of the magnetic tape. More particularly, the magnetic tape fed into the magazine by feeding means is stored by the dead-weight of the magnetic tape in a zig-zag condition and then is taken out of the magazine whereby the movement of the magnetic tape is not smooth and the resistance for uniformly winding the magnetic tape upon the take-up reel cannot be maintained constant due to the fluctuation in the density of the magnetic tape at the magazine outlet. In summary, the stable travelling operation of the magnetic tape has been seriously inferior because of the above-mentioned disadvantages.
Moreover, within the magnetic tape apparatus equipped with a deadweight movement type magazine, the magnetic tape adheres to the magazine because of an electrostatic charge generated when the magnetic tape travels at high speed, such as for example, greater than 6 m/sec. Accordingly further difficulty in moving the magnetic tape smoothly within the magazine is experienced.
In order to overcome such aforenoted disadvantages, it has been proposed, and practically used, to provide a belt or a roller within the bottom portion of the magazine so as to facilitate movement of the magnetic tape disposed within the zig-zag condition. Within such conventional apparatus, the movement of the magnetic tape while in the zig-zag condition is carried out at constant speed during the entire travel period of the tape whereby the apparent density of the magnetic tape within the magazine is affected. However it is quite difficult to attain a uniform apparent density of the magnetic tape at the magazine outlet and a uniform resistance for taking-up the tape.
Similarly, or alternatively, a recorded magazine tape may be prepared by means of a high speed recording apparatus wherein a pancake type magnetic tape is fed and taken-up under recording or reproducing conditions and is then packed within a magazine. As shown within FIG. 5 which illustrates one example of such type of conventional apparatus, the magnetic tape is fed from a pancake type 21 so as to pass a buffer arm 22, a guide roller 23, a guide roller 25, and a pinch-roller 26 and a capstan 27 and be taken up upon a take-up reel 28. The inertia force of the pancake type tape 21 however is so high as to substantially extend the threshold time and impart on undesirable degree of tension to the magnetic tape upon commencement of the operation as to damage the magnetic layer of the tape.
In addition, when the diameter of the tape pancake decreases as the tape continues to travel, the feeding resistance gradually increases so as to in turn increase the tension of the tape whereby fluctuation in the travelling speed of the magnetic tape is disadvantageously caused. In summary, it has been difficult to attain the desired demand of a threshold period of less than 0.1 sec. or a travelling speed of the magnetic tape greater than 3 m/sec.